A Skunk's Tail
by Critterz11
Summary: When the Jellies find a hurt Pimpleback hog-nosed skunk, they do what they would instinctively: helping care for it and treating its injury. But when more skunks begin showing up at the camp, can they keep them under order or will Scoutmaster Lumpus have a major fit?


The warm morning sun beamed over the horizon of Camp Kidney. While most campers were still drowsily getting into the morning routine, the Jellies had no problem perking up for another exciting day of adventure. Lazlo was happily humming along on his way to clean off at the showers when a loud wail echoed from nearby. The monkey scout became startled by this sudden eruption of noise; it was enough to make him tremble a bit. Two of his bunkmates and closest friends: Raj and Clam had rushed along in alarm themselves.

"W-what in all of Bangladesh was that?" Raj exclaimed. The elephant himself was known to be very high-strung and shaky about unexpected things that'd trigger a feeling of fear. As well among his three friends, he also had the best hearing. "I don't know Raj, but by instinctive prediction it sounds like someone is hurt. Let's follow the sound to see where it's coming from. Lazlo responded to Raj. The three began to trace the hollering about a mile near the forest to an animal with its tail caught under a rock.

"Lazlo, what kind of species is it?." Raj asked out of curiosity. Lazlo got a closer look from a distance, not wanting to provoke fear into the wounded creature. "It appears to be..." he said before cutting off to inquire searching through the Bean Scout field guide "...Oh, here it is. It's a Pimpleback hog-nosed skunk." Raj was even more frightened now "A s-skunk?" he stuttered, holding onto his trunk. "Lazlo, I do not think we should be playing around with a skunk. I've heard they are smelly and bad-tempered."

"Stinky temper." Clam responded, as usual the rhinoceros spoke only of few words.

"Oh, don't worry guys we're just going to help him out of this situation. Poor guy's wailing and crying in pain." Lazlo informed "Besides, we've helped many wild animals before. Like our bear friend, Fluffy when he a pinecone wedged in his snout." "Yeah, that is true..." Raj sighed, still holding onto his trunk to prevent odor from inhaling in. "But I'm holding you responsible if this creature lunges out. I'm still feeling sore on the shoulders from when that great horned owl we saved last week decided to perch." The pachyderm scout rubbed his shoulder, the dents from the owl's talons still shown on his thick skin. With precaution, the Jellies worked together to carefully move the rock off slowly; at least until the skunk's tail was no longer snared in pain. Once free, the animal happily sprung up and carefully checked its tail tip with a slight moan.

"He still seems to be in pain, we got to at least treat the injury on his tail." Lazlo spoke to Raj and Clam. They did agree. Although the skunk was no longer wailing up a commotion of noise, as scouts they felt it instinctive in their hearts to help others when in need. "Get bandages." Clam shouted, rushing in the direction to the nurse's office. He came back a few minutes later with a roll as the three Jellies helped wrap the skunk's tail in a secure covering of bandage strands. "He looks happier already, but we should keep an eye out on him until he's recovered enough to be out in the wild." Lazlo then insisted. "But where are we going to keep a skunk? We can't just let him roam around in the open, we could get in trouble if Lumpus were to see him." Raj replied, questioning the scenario.

Lazlo opened his field guide once more to the page on skunks and began skimming for more information. "Ah, it says here that skunks like to rest in the shelter of burrows. We'll just make him a little burrow by Jelly Cabin so he can poke in and out at any time." The three agreed on the plan. Back at their cabin, Raj was using Clam as a shovel to excavate the ground into a nice den shape. Lazlo was informing the skunk of his new temporary home while gathering furnishings to make the animal feel comfortable. He had found a bunch of pinecones, fir needles and leaves that would do fine for comfy bedding. Within a half-hour, they had set up the perfect little abode for their furry friend. The skunk carefully approached the den and reposed inside on the snug layer of forest shavings. He gave a gentle chirp as he tucked in to nap.

"Awww...he's kind of adorable when sleeping like that." Raj whispered "But yet...he still emits a foul odor." he said, grasping once again to keep the stench out of his nose. "Will keep interlopers away." Clam replied. Lazlo then considered they let their stinky new friend rest as they head to the Leakey Lake beach for some fun. The trio began to grab their swim gear and head off.

It was already almost sunset by time the Jellies had returned to their cabin. Before checking in, Lazlo went to go see if the skunk was doing alright. The smell seemed to have gotten way stronger and much worse since earlier. "Oh holey cheese..." Raj muttered "For a little guy he sure..." . Various chirps could be heard now as a mauve-colored skunk and several kits emerged for an evening walk. "...Has family over?" Raj finished. Lazlo came to the conclusion the other skunks were indeed his kin who had tracked him to make sure he was safe.

"Can they stay?" Clam said with a giggle, he was in a fit of guffaw as the little skunk kits playfully rubbed noses and licked his face. "Clam, one skunk is enough...but, I guess since it is his family I am willing to put up with them staying." Raj replied, still a bit groggy. "But only until the original one is fully-healed at the rudder." Lazlo nodded "A promise is a promise, Raj."

That night while the Jellies had reported in for some shuteye, a gurgling rumbled from the den. The mother skunk and her kits were hungry having traveled hours to find their missing father, so they were arranging a plan to seek out some food nearby. The male skunk; who carefully was resting his bandaged tail down, poked his nose into the air and sniffed around the area. He lead the others out towards the scoutmaster's cabin. Digging up at the earth near the surface of the lodge, he started to construct a tunnel below for the others to pass. Once inside, the skunks emerged from one of the loose floorboards and detected from the different rooms. Suddenly, the skunk jumped up excitedly and happily as he notified the others for the refrigerator. Carefully towering on one another, they began to claw and strain at the handle until the top icebox had opened. Leaping inside, the skunk grabbed a hold of some frosty lake worms in an ice cream tub. Spilling the entirety of the container on the floor, the skunks began to gobble and chug down on some swampy night crawlers.

From down the stairs to the hall came a half-asleep Lumpus. The grouchy bull moose may have had his head still in the clouds of dreamland, but he was muttering as he walked along. "Need...milk and cookies..." he dryly muttered. The sounds of slop and mush sloshing as the skunks snacked made his ears perk up a bit. "Slinkman...are you making me some cookies?" he eagerly spoke, reaching a finger for the light switch. Upon flicking it on to get a brighter view, he shrieked in panic from what he was seeing. "Skunks!? SKUUUUNKS!" he shouted, now anxious. Nearby, Lazlo and his two friends awoke surprised from hearing the moose's wail. Trouble had occurred.

"Get out of my lake wormies, you filthy striped weasels!" Lumpus now hollered, swinging around a broom in a ferocious manner. The skunks leaped and bounded around the kitchen, unintentionally making a mess of everything but staying clear of the enraged scoutmaster. "Yeah, that's right! All of you shoo, scram, begone...NEVER COME BACK!" Lumpus bellowed as they escaped through the floorboards they entered, slamming his broom violently to the ground as he huffed and moaned out of his exhausting fit.

The following morning, Lumpus ordered all the scouts to be front and center for an announcement. "I don't know which one of you scouts, or even if it was any of you...but, there is a gang of smelly, pesky skunks lurking in the camp and I...WANT THEM GONE!" he shouted. "Those pesky black-and-white balls of flea bait and foul stench ate my specialized night crawlers I use for fishing, but that's not the worst part...I didn't get my milk and cookies." he began to sniffle, truly pathetic. Lumpus' assistant, Slinkman then decided to make a proposition.

"If any of you see a skunk or two around, don't provoke the animal just come inform me and I'll call up a conservationalist from the rangers' station to come and relocate it." the banana slug explained. Lumpus however was quick to mutter that he'd rather have the skunks captured forcefully and exterminated, which itself shook Slinkman to the point he tucked his eyestalks in uncomfortably. Once dismissed, the scouts huddled to discuss the issue.

"Let me guess, it was you guys who brought in some skunks to the camp because of your sappy, "let's care for nature" attitude?" Edward mumbled, looking upon the Jellies. The duck-billed platypus was never optimistic when it came to their ideas or plans. "Well, truth be told Edward, it was only one skunk and we were just looking after him while his tail recovered from injury." Lazlo explained, feeling very guilty for how much chaos had been established. "It's our fault, so we'll be the ones to go out and find everyone before reporting in." Raj and Clam nodded, as they sadly followed Lazlo off. "Oh, don't be too hard on yourselves...we'll help." Edward hestitantly spoke to them. "But I won't like it!"

"You will? Thanks so much." Lazlo grew enthusiastic as he and the Jellies overheard him. "I think it'll be easier if we search as a set of teams around the camp."

"I'll check the Mess Hall." Said Milt, the hippopotamus scout from Honey Cabin. "And we'll try to search the hiking trails for skunk tracks." The loon twins, Dave and Ping-Pong of Fava Cabin insisted. "I think I'll just...keep watch from the rooftops, where it's not as murky and smelly..." Samson muttered. The guinea pig was willing to help of course, but he had a strong distaste for everything gross and smelly. Everyone split into small groups and headed off in different directions, hoping to track down the missing skunks.

Lazlo, Raj and Clam were searching on the forest trail where they had originally found their injured furry friend. "Skunky...where are you? Come out Skunky...we're not gonna harm you or you or your family. We just want to know where you guys are so we can keep you safe." Lazlo had been crying out as he searched every corner of the woods. "It's not use, they're probably long gone by now..." Raj sadly responded, his ears and trunk drooping down. "Long gone." Clam added to Raj's statement. Just then, a weird odor flourished in the air. It was enough to make Raj feel nauseous once more, as he held his trunk tightly. "Euuugh..." he moaned "It's such a stench horrible enough to make your brain melt out of your nostrils!"

Lazlo and Clam began sniffing at the air as well. "Hey, wait a minute I'd know that smell anywhere!" Lazlo explained. "Yeah, it's a skunk smell." Clam added. The three began to run around following the reeking stench to where it was coming from. From behind a shrub, the trio had managed to find all the skunks. "There you guys are! Oh I'm so sorry...I didn't mean for you all to become frightened. We were just doing what we could to help you recover." Lazlo said sadly, kneeling down as he looked upon the male skunk. The animal did understand and truly was grateful they came to assistance when he needed it, as he nuzzled Lazlo's cheek with a smile. Raj and Clam assured happily themselves to see all the skunks had been safe. "Now come on, our good friend Slinkman said he'd be able to help relocate you guys into a safer-" Lazlo explained, just as he was cut off.

"Wham!" The three Jellies dangled above in a net trap that had been set with a snare. "No one is going anywhere, not until those skunks are eradicated, expunged...EXTINCT!" shouted Lumpus as he stepped in on the group of skunks. He was wearing refined extermination equipment with a valve strapped upon his back, it attached with a sprayer wand. The Jellies screamed "NOOOOOOO" as they struggled and swung around, hoping to break free. The skunks were frightened and huddling together for comfort in their final moments.

, there seemed to be a slight rumbling coming from the male skunk's dorsal as he groaned anxiously. All of a sudden, the bandages broke loose and from beneath the tail came an erruption of foul-smelling fluid directly at Lumpus. The bad smell was so strong it disintegrated not only his equipment; but his clothes straight down to his underwear. He began to fall over, stiff as a statue as he tumbled downhill.

Just as the air cleared up newly fresh, the Jellies caught glimpse to noticed their skunk friend's tail had fully healed and poofed up stronger than ever. The other skunks helped get them down by clawing the rope holding the net trap, landing softly on the grass. "Seems you healed up nicely in just over a day, Mr. Skunky. We can't thank you enough though for saving us too." Lazlo said happily, as him, Raj and Clam congratulated and cheered on their animal friends.

Some time later just before nightfall was about to set in, Slinkman carefully loaded a sturdy cage with clean bedding, fresh water and some grubs for treats onto a truck; the skunks happily tucked inside. "The rangers here informed me the skunks will be safely relocated in a grove just west of Leakey Lake Falls. Once again, thank you Jellies for your kind, considerate devotion to caring about nature." he said as the truck pulled off. Lazlo, Raj and Clam happily wiped tears from their eyes as they smiled and waved their new friends goodbye.

Suddenly, another loud moan echoed through the camp. "Slinkmannnn...I need more tomato juice, I've already used about 20 cans..." Lumpus shouted, feeling anguish to be sprayed with such a disgusting odor as he lied exhausted in defeat in a wooden barrel tub full of juice made from tomato paste.


End file.
